Young Ginger Pickled in Sweet Vinegar

Ginger is called "gari" at sushi restaurants. When you eat oily fish sushi, have the gari afterwards to freshen your mouth. It also has a bactericidal effect.

Photographed by Manao Okamoto

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Recipe by
Jun Takahashi

Easy

Vegetables

Sushi

Healthy

Ingredients

500 g young ginger

[Sweet vinegar]

500 ml rice vinegar

190 g sugar

45 g coarse salt

Rice vinegar, a small amount

Directions

1

Whisk the sweet vinegar ingredients in a bowl.

Advice

Whisk instead of melting the sugar to enjoy the vinegar perfume.

2

Wash the young ginger. With a spoon, scrape off all the peel except for the red portion.

Advice

Use a spoon rather than a knife to carefully scrape off the peel.

3

Slice the ginger along the grain into the preferred thickness.

4

Lay half the ginger in a strainer placed over a bowl. Add a dash of rice vinegar to boiling water and pour evenly over the ginger to remove the bite.

Advice

Adding vinegar to the boiling water inhibits reactions and prevents the young ginger from turning brown.

5

Sprinkle the ginger with half of the coarse salt while hot, and stir thoroughly.

Advice

Sprinkle with salt to season, and to remove the bitterness.

6

Squeeze throughly while hot (be careful not to scald yourself). Repeat the process for the other half of the ginger.

7

Pour the sweet vinegar into a food storage jar and pickle the ginger for 2-3 days.

Tips

Storage:
Will keep in the fridge for about a month. After 10 days, it will gradually turn pale pink.

Key points:
Container
Use an acid- or corrosion- resistant glass or enamel container. This recipe used a 1 liter glass food storage jar. Be sure to boil and sterilize before use.
Young ginger
Young ginger is shipped right after harvest. Look for lustrous ones with stems that are bright red towards the bottom.